Comments on: Spring Tide Tomorrow

By: kelly

kelly — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 14:44:24 +0000

Whatever the name of the tide, I can give you the eyeball report. I went surfing this morning in the fog at high tide in Manasquan NJ and it was indeed a high high tide.

By: Kate St. John

Kate St. John — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 13:25:13 +0000

Perhaps my description wasn't clear. What I really meant is this: When the moon is New its bright side faces the sun and we see it's dark side. During this phase the moon is positioned between the earth and sun though the alignment may not be perfect. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_moon When the alignment is really perfect, it's called syzygy. However, I found that the term "syzygy" is often used to describe alignments that aren't perfect, including New moons. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syzygy_(astronomy) An imperfect syzygy occurs twice a month: once during the new moon and once during the full moon. During a perfect alignment we see an eclipse. Astronomers, please help me out here! Mary DeV., what do you say?

By: Bill Parker

Bill Parker — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 13:24:17 +0000

There are also seasonal variations in tides. This time of the year we think of the sun and moon being about over the equator. Just after the start of winter we have very high high tides at northern latitudes as the moon is further north pulling the water in that direction. It is complex with lots of interactions.
I grew up in Missouri. Our local book of tide tables was very thin.

By: Andrea

Andrea — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 12:52:42 +0000

Thanks for the heads up Kate! But: new moons occur every month, and aren’t the effect of the moon being between the sun and earth — it’s just the back of the moon facing us. A syzygy is special.